Rotaviruses in Wild Ungulates from Germany, 2019–2022

Abstract

Rotavirus A (RVA) is an important cause of diarrhea in humans and animals. However, RVA in wild animals has only scarcely been investigated so far. Here, the presence of RVA in wild ungulates hunted between 2019 and 2022 in Brandenburg, Germany, was investigated using real-time RT-PCR and sequencing of RT-PCR products. By analyzing intestinal contents, RVA-RNA was detected in 1.0% (2/197) of wild boar (Sus scrofa), 1.3% (2/152) of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), and 2.1% (2/95) of fallow deer (Dama dama) but not in 28 red deer (Cervus elaphus) samples. Genotyping identified G3P[13] strains in wild boar, which were closely related to previously described pig and wild boar strains. Genotype G10P[15] strains, closely related to strains from roe deer, sheep, or cattle, were found in roe deer. The strains of fallow deer represented genotype G3P[3], clustering in a group containing different strains from several hosts. The results indicated a low prevalence of RVA in wild ungulates in Germany. Associations of specific genotypes with certain ungulate species seem to exist but should be confirmed by analyses of more samples in the future.

Genome analysis of the novel putative rotavirus species K

“…Rotavirus-induced disease is also very common in domestic animals ( Otto et al., 2012 , 2015 ). In addition, rotavirus infections have been identified in several wild animals ( Althof et al., 2023 ; Simsek et al., 2021 ). Although distinct rotavirus types are commonly found in specific hosts, zoonotic transmission of rotaviruses between different animal species and between animals and humans have been repeatedly described ( Martella et al., 2010 ; Díaz Alarcón et al., 2022 ).…”